Although ice particles in the upper atmosphere benefit Earth in that they reflect and absorb solar radiation, acting as a global thermostat and thus keeping Earth from either burning up or freezing over, they also accelerate the destruction of the ozone layer by reacting with chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's).
they act to keep...这两个分句之间本来没有这层让步转折含义(原文的关系应该是递进),但因为 they
act...成了独立的句子,所以与前面的 although 状语从句联合,不符合逻辑意思。再往后面的 but... 又
与 although 重复(重复使用连词)。
问题:
关于acting and keeping为什么没有夹心修饰的歧义的解释太牵强,仔细分析逻辑上也有自相卖盾的地方。原因如下:
这个“夹心”修饰的争议在于acting and keeping即可能向前修饰名词solar radiation,也可能向后修饰主句主语they,也就是ice particles。
答案中的解释是“如果要往后修饰主句 they also accelerate...,那么必须在 Although...从句与 acting as...之间加上连词”,可Although是一个从句,而acting and keeping是一个动名词短语,请问什么连词可以连接两个如此不对等的结构? and?
如果按照这种解释,“夹心修饰”根本不存在了。因为通过判断doing结构前有没有连词(即使不考虑连词能否连接两个不对等的结构),已经完全可以判断是向前修饰还是向后修饰了。
问题解决了。
首先,我“夹心修饰”的成分说错了:
向前修饰:acting as a global thermostat and thus keeping Earth from either burning up or freezing over做伴随状语,表结果,向前修饰谓语动词benefit ,逻辑主语是ice particles;
向后修饰:acting as a global thermostat and thus keeping Earth from either burning up or freezing over做伴随状语,表状态,向后修饰谓语动词accelerate,逻辑主语是they,指代的还是ice particles;
这道题其实是个“特例”,特殊就特殊在不管向前修饰还是向后修饰,其实逻辑主语都是ice particles,从逻辑上或者翻译上,按照向前修饰还是向后修饰理解都差不多。此时“夹心修饰”已经不存在。
至于连词改写,Although ice particles in the upper atmosphere benefit Earth in that they reflect and absorb solar radiation AND acting as a global thermostat and thus keeping Earth from either burning up or freezing over, they also accelerate the destruction of the ozone layer by reacting with chlorofluorocarbons.这是肯定不行的!因为AND前面是有主谓宾的句子,后面是doing sth短语,AND前后结构不平行,AND不可以连接两个如此不对称的结构。作者说了如果要表示向后修饰,需要加连词,这个连词他没说,让我好一顿困惑。
如果用连词AND,句子需要改写为:
Although benefiting Earth in that they reflect and absorb solar radiation AND acting as a global thermostat and thus keeping Earth from either burning up or freezing over, ice particles in the upper atmosphere also accelerate the destruction of the ozone layer by reacting with chlorofluorocarbons.
这样可以用AND。
后来有人被我折磨之后,想出了那个“没有说出来的连词”:
Although ice particles in the upper atmosphere benefit Earth in that they reflect and absorb solar radiation WHILE acting as a global thermostat and thus keeping Earth from either burning up or freezing over, they also accelerate the destruction of the ozone layer by reacting with chlorofluorocarbons.
感觉可以了,while用的好。